1974 Map of Trotters

About this map

Trotters marks the center of this 1970s landscape where the high plains of western North Dakota meet the rugged drainage basins of the Badlands. Straddling the boundary between McKenzie Co and Golden Valley Co, the area is defined by the complex branching of North Fork Smith Creek and South Fork Smith Creek. These waterways, along with Horse Creek and O'Neil Creek, carve deep coulees into the surrounding plateaus. Local community life is anchored by the Townhall and the South Side Cem, while the region's geology is evident in the scattered Scoria Pits and a Gravel Pit. The map captures a moment when this rural territory was organized by the large jurisdictional townships of Henry and Pearl, reflecting a sparse, ranch-oriented settlement pattern.